L’affaire I.D c. Suisse concerne un demandeur d’asile non-accompagné arrivé en Suisse à l’âge de 15 ans en été 2018. Le SEM considère sans aucun motif fondé qu’il était majeur, et rend une décision d’expulsion vers l’Espagne sous le règlement Dublin. Cette procédure est menée de manière expéditive et sans que le requérant mineur soit assisté par une personne de confiance ou une représentation légale. Malgré le fait que la minorité de I.D. a été reconnu par le Tribunal de protection de l’adulte et de l’enfant (TPAE) du canton de Genève, le SEM et le TAF maintiennent qu’il est majeur, et confirment leur décision de renvoi sur réexamen. Cette procédure se caractérise par la violation de nombreux droits de I.D. découlant de la Convention relative aux droits de l’enfant, dont son intérêt supérieur (article 3). Aujourd’hui, après une procédure de deux ans et demi et une intégration extrêmement réussie en Suisse, il se voit menacé par l’expulsion vers l’Espagne qui lui causerait des dommages irréparables.
Catégorie : unclassified
UN CAT inquiry: further informtion submitted jointly with OMCT on « Closed Ports » policy
On 26th June 2020, we asked the Committee against Torture to open an inquiry under Article 20 UNCAT into the responsibility of Italy for the systematic torture of migrants pulled-back to Libya. We have made a follow-up submission jointly with the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) informing the Committee on relevant developments along the Mediterranean migration route. These developments have occurred during the summer months when migratory movements across the Mediterranean reached their peak.
The issue set out in this further information concerns the repeated occurrence of sea vessels with rescued migrants being refused permission to disembark at a safe port by authorities in both Italy and Malta. As a consequence of refusing such permission, the vessels are prevented from docking at the nearest safe port from the point at which migrants are rescued in accordance with established principles of human rights and maritime law. This has resulted in the migrants enduring prolonged periods of time in the Mediterranean Sea on board a vessel without adequate resources or medical attention or the ability to seek protection under the Refugee Convention. For the reasons set out below, these occurrences are demonstrative of a « Closed Ports » policy and amount to evidence of a systematic practice of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of migrants by both Italy and Malta.
Read submission here.
Poste de collecteur de fonds à temps partiel
Nous engageons un·e collaborateur·trice pour la recherche de fonds, pour un poste à temps partiel (environ 1 jour par semaine) pour une période de 4 mois à partir de janvier/février 2021. Le·la candidat·e doit avoir de bonnes connaissances du domaine des droits de l’homme et du milieu associatif. Si vous êtes intéressé·e, veuillez envoyer votre CV et votre lettre de motivation en français ou en anglais à info@centre-csdm.org avec le mot « Fundraiser » dans l’objet du message au plus tard le 30 novembre 2020. Nous vous contacterons dans un délai de trois semaines si nous souhaitons donner suite à votre candidature.
Vacancy for Part-time Fundraiser
We are recruiting a fundraiser for a part-time position (approx. 1 day per week) for a period of 3 – 4 months starting at the beginning of 2021. The candidate must have a solid understanding of the work of human rights NGOs like the CSDM and ideally be located in Switzerland. If interested, please send your CV and a cover letter in English or French to info@centre-csdm.org with the word “Fundraiser” in the message heading no later than 30 November 2020. We will contact you within 3 weeks if we wish to follow-up on your application. Due to resource constraints, we can unfortunately not reply to inquiries on the status of your application.
Letter to the UN Treaty Bodies and OHCHR
Over 500 NGOs worldwide, including the CSDM, have signed a joint civil society letter adressed to the UN Treaty Bodies voicing concern over the dysfunctioning of the treaty body system since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. The pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on the work of the Treaty Bodies, with the postponement, cancellation and scaling-down of nearly all sessions scheduled for 2020. Since July 2020, most of the Treaty Bodies have met virtually and limited their activities, rescheduling all the reviews of states parties planned. The effects of the pandemic have been exacerbated by the financial crisis that the OHCHR and the UN are undergoing.
We urge the Treaty Bodies and their Secretariats to schedule State reviews no later than 2021, and OHCHR to prioritise resources and tools for this. We recommend anticipating risks and possible scenarios with clear mitigation and contingency plans that are public and proactively communicated to civil society. Should the pandemic further prevent the scheduling of physical sessions of the Treaty Bodies in 2021, we consider that a pragmatic approach should be taken which allows online State reviews on a temporary and exceptional basis.
Read the full letter here.